[Patrick]

Airs above ground, I love it. You’re obviously a glass is half full kind of guy. I’d love to see them take your advice and try it again, and qualify for a Darwin Award, if the horse weren’t made to suffer for it.

Does anyone know where and when this video was shot?

[Patrick]

@lancek 14805 wrote:

You know what really gets me is why the American public allows cooperate america to get away with this If we are smart enough to put a man on the moon why are we not smart enough to figure out that we are paying more in interest than the actual thing we bought! Or that our live should not be governed by a credit score. You would think they would wake up and do something about it and don’t say there is nothing you can do because if everybody just kept our money in our pocket for one week didn’t pay there bills and told cooperate america that unless they changed there ways they wouldn’t get anything than I think they would change there minds !!!!! 😡

Exactly. The USDA is at fault too. Once upon a time, they supported the small family farm, now all of it’s policies are geared toward big ag. Try to be a small time poultry breeder in the face of a depopulation. You won’t stand a chance. Or a 4H kid with a steer trying to resist premises ID and tracking.

I’ve never lived during the times when a small diversified family farm could make a living with a few dozen head of cows, or only a thousand layers, and USDA and big ag have ensured that I probably never will.

[Patrick]

Never heard that one, but then you guys do have bomber chutes, don’t you, so who knows what else you’ll come up with ?!
A coworker is from Kenya, and we’ve done this comparison before. Can’t even remember half of what he talked about as different from here. Whenever someone has a laugh at his expense, he says that we’re enjoying him. We really enjoyed him last week when someone brought in a whoopie pie, and he asked what it was. He’s got that British composure, and tried very hard at keeping it.

[Patrick]

I’m usually a stickler for proper terminology. For example, it drives me wild when people confuse cattle for cows, or hens for chickens.
By my way of thinking, in some contexts, the usage of feathers isn’t always wrong. “The feathers on that leg are matted.” I’ve also heard feathering often used in place of feather.

[Patrick]

I was surprised at seeing a team this fall of Holsteins, one red the other black. Although not matched in the traditional sense, they still made an attractive team, I thought. I liked seeing one example of each variety. It helped introduce the rarer red to people who previously thought that Holsteins come in only black.

Another thought: if Dexters are in your plans, get rid of the well behaved animals, and keep the one that’s difficult. If you want Dexters, you’ll need all the experience you can get handling difficult steers!

[Patrick]

@jenjudkins 13118 wrote:

I prefer horsepeople…..they are very understanding when things don’t go as well as planned….:p

I assume you’re talking draft horsepeople. The other horsey people I’ve had experience with, don’t often seem to be inderstanding even when things go right!

[Patrick]

@Rose 12904 wrote:

Hi,
I’m new here and registered to get more information about the horn training device. I did do a search and couldn’t find a source for them. Does anyone have more information about them, or know of someone that uses them? Thanks!

http://www.newenglandoxsupply.com/

[Patrick]

I talked up the Draft Animal Forum in hopes some of these guys will add to it.

If we could get even half those guys to drop in here occasionally it would be great.

These types of events are made valuable when the teamsters are actually aware of the details of performing the work at hand. To many, a team is a team, and a driver, a driver, but the names mentioned above can take the discussion and demonstration to the level of practicality that makes the workshop important.

Hats off to Tim and Colin for knowing the truth about this, and working to create such a good event.

It was the icing on the cake. Not only the experience level of all of the instructors, but their patience and professionalism too. You don’t know humble until you can learn from a 12 or 18 year old kid who really does know what he’s talking about. I’m very appreciative of those instructors who all allowed the greenest novices among us to take and make mistakes with their teams.

I also heard rumors of some mean cider going round the barn at night after dinner, but I don’t know too much about that.

[Patrick]

@mother katherine 12362 wrote:

Just got back from New Hampshire and the “Logging With Oxen” weekend in Loudon at Sanborn Mills farm.
Ultracool.
Ratio was one participant to one team and instructor(the team’s owner). The forester knocked down trees ahead of us and we twitched out and yarded about 5 and a half cord of wood. Teams were various breeds and ages. The instructors were all active teamsters from the area and some were young 4 H teamsters with their current competition pulling teams. Names like Tasker, Huppe, Conroy, Winslow, Farnham, Courser, Ken Barton were there.
I talked up the Draft Animal Forum in hopes some of these guys will add to it.
I heard Carl Russell’s name mentioned.
Can’t wait to get back to my calves and get going on dragging limbs.
oxnun

Don’t forget Mark and David from Sanborn Mills Farm, Jake the chopper and of course the hosts of the event, Colin and Paula Cabot. There is no way that this workshop is a money making venture. I’d be surprised if they broke even. The Cabots’ generosity in educating people about some of these almost forgotten rural skills is something to be appreciated, and the restoration work that they’re doing on the farm complex is awe inspiring. It must have taken some kind of alignment of the heavens to bring together the philanthropy and historical preservation ideals of the Cabots with Drew and Tim’s knowledge and contacts to complete the work that they’re doing there. Oh, and the food, can’t forget the food. Most of it raised or grown right there on the farm, and all homemade. The food alone was almost worth taking the workshop for.

[Patrick]

Looks like choke cherry to me.

[Patrick]

Sabine, pigs have long been used to sniff out truffles in France, but expecting them to be compliant enough to be used for other work is a stretch, IMO. Bivol, reasonable speculation. Try it, and let us know how you do. I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong if it works out for you.

[Patrick]

All well and good for purposes of a cute photo op, or simply to attract attention, but, as smart as pigs are, is anyone going to really train them to work and do what the owner wants, when he wants it, without stopping to root or eat every litttle thing that he likes? Possible, maybe. Practical, I don’t think so.

[Patrick]

I’m all for the unusual; llamas, camels, goats, dogs, as long as the animal can reasonably be expected to be trained to do something useful, but please, let’s not be ridiculous.

[Patrick]

I’m always interested in this question. I don’t think it’s always as cut and dry as some people seem to think. I think that most people realize that Jersey and Holstein bull calves are worth very little, even when prices are “up”, but what about something unusual that makes an interesting ox, like a Dutch Belt?
Chianinas?

[Patrick]

I am sure that I don’t know what you’re referring to. The tone at RH, yes, but here I’ve found the tone to be very agreeable. I don’t look at the equine threads, so maybe it’s different there, but most else is perfectly fine as far as I’m concerned. Enjoy the other site.

[Author]

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